Seven truths about metadata

Metadata is data about data. For the purposes of his NESUG 2011 presentation, Frank DiIorio defined metadata more precisely as data about data and data that describes workflow objects and processes. DiIorio wrote his paper because organizations are challenged more and more today to do more with less. Metadata can help organizations do that by moving from paper-based systems to digital systems.

DiIorio is President of Code Crafters Inc, a consulting firm in Philadelphia. He’s a frequent speaker at local, regional and international SAS users conferences and has more than 200 published papers. DiIorio’s primary audience for this paper is the pharmaceutical and health care provider industries, but many SAS users will find this information valuable.

The premise for DiIorio’s presentation and paper is that the traditional paper-based system is inadequate and inefficient, but to become more efficient organizations must standardize data entry, formats and naming conventions. These organizations must also attach metadata to their digital documents so that they can quickly and easily retrieve them. Here are some of the truths DiIorio shared in his presentation:

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About Author

+Waynette Tubbs is the Editor of the Risk Management Knowledge Exchange at SAS, Managing Editor of sascom Magazine and Editor of the SAS Tech Report. Tubbs has developed a comprehensive portfolio of strategic business and marketing communications during her career spanning 15 years of magazine, marketing and agency work.